Fender.



J. M. W. HEITMANN.

FENDER. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 27, 1908.

1,018,316. Q Patented Feb.20, 1912.

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JOI-IANNES MARTIN WILHELM HEITMANN, 0F HAMBURG, GERMANY.

FENDER.

owers.

Specification of Letters 2atent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Application filed June 27, 1908. Serial No. 440,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOIIANNES MARTIN IVILIIELM I-Inrraranx, a subject ofthe German Emperor, residing at Antonistrasse 12, Hamburg, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fenders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a tender which, owing to thepeculiar mannor in which it is braided, has an exceptional amount ofresilience and durability.

In making the fenders heretofore employed upon shipboard, it iscustomary to place upon a core a number of layers of network, each rowof the network having meshes looped into the preceding row.

The construction just mentioned has the disadvantage that the meshesemployed must necessarily be very small, and cone sequent'ly breakeasily, which diminishes the durability of the fender. Moreover, theconstruction just mentioned gives to the fender very little elasticity,for the reason that portions of the meshes are liable to shiftlengthwise of the fender when they are pressed together.

In myinvention I employ a flexible winding member of spiral form whichmay consist of rods, reeds, canes or strips, and

around this I' twine a flexible member formed into meshes and connectingtogether the differentloops of the spiral winding member.

My construction increases the resilience of the tender, for the reasonthat the flexible member used for binding together the various loops ofthe winding member has exceptional resilience toward the circumferenceonly of the tender, and is not liable to be shifted lengthwise as in theold construcion.

Again, my fender is much more durable, for the reason that the flexiblemember used for binding together the various loops of the winding memberis progressively larger from the center outward, the flexible windingmember being of smaller diameter at the center, from which the work ofmaking the tender begins. Hence, in my construction the flexible bindingmember is not bent so abruptly as in other constructions, and thereforecannot break as readily.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan viewof a partially completed fender made in accordance with my invention;and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly broken away.

At a is the core which is made of a suitable porous material and whichmay, .-ac cording to the purpose for which it is .used, be spherical,oval or sausage shaped. Secured to the core a is a chain, cable or thelike, provided with a portion b to enable the tender to be secured to achain, rope or cable in the usual manner.

A flexible winding member 0 is bent into spiral form and constitutes aconsiderable portion of the'fender covering. This flexible windingmember is composite in structure, being made of a number of reeds,canes, ropes or the like and so formed that its end portions are oflesser diameter than its mid dle portion. This is conveniently done byproperly distributing the canes, ropes, cords or the like, ofwhich it iscomposed. In the particular instance shown, the flexible winding member0' is made of separate canes, the end of the flexible winding mem herbeing simply a continuation of one of these canes.

At a point a little removed from the end the flexible winding membercomprises two canes; still farther out -itcomprises three canes, and soon. At (Z is a flexible binding member. In the particular instance shownthis is a long piece of cane braiding which is passed around theflexible winding member 0 and formed into loops 6, and after beingpassed through each loop is passed through the adjacent loop of thepreceding winding of the flexible binding member. After the core a hasreceived a complete covering of network, made in the mannerjustdescribed, the operation is repeated, beginning at the oppositeendof thecore, and this is continued until the fender has reached thedesired thickness.

I find it convenient to begin the spiral winding of the flexible windingmember with only one or two canes, switches, or other equivalent, andafterward to add as many as desired, so that as the tender in-- creasesin size, the flexible winding member 0 contains three or more switches,canes or rods, as the case may be, according to the material or" whichit is composed. The

flexible binding member d may in like manner consist of a single switchor a number of switches tw sted together. Hard hemp,

rope, Wire or soft Wire cable may be em- Wise diameter. This insuresgreat durability in the fender, because the meshes must be larger thanit is expedient to make them with the old style of network.

its raw material for making the fender, there may be used either cane orswitches of ratan Willow, or other flexible growths. It is alsopracticable to make the flexible Winding member 0 of several corded hempropes, or the like.

Having thus described my invention, What it claim as new and desire tosecure by Le ters Patent is 1. In a tender, the combination of a core, aflexible Winding member disposed spirally about the same, and a flexiblebinding member Wound spirally. around said Winding member and formedinto loops, the loops around one convolution of said winding memberextending through the loops around another convolut on of said Windingmember.

2. In a. tender, the combination oi. a core, a flexible Winding memberdisposed spirally about the same, and a binding member Wound spirallyaround said Winding memher and formed into loops, each loop extendingaround a ortion of said Winding member and throng an adjacent loop ofanother portion of said binding member.

noise to 3. A iendercomprising a core, a Winding member disposedthereupon, a portion of said Win-ding member being thicker than fanotherportion thereof, said winding member being formed intdsuccessiveconvolutions 4. A fender comprising a core having sue,-

cessive portions of gradually increasing diameter, a winding memberdisposed spirally around said core and having convolutions of smalldiameter engaging a portion of small diameter of said core, portions oflarger diameter of saidbyvinding member thus being disposed uponportions otgreater diameter of said core, and means for securingtogether the several adjacent convolutions of said Winding member.

5. A fender comprising a core having generally an oval form, a Windingmember mounted spirally upon said core, the general diameter of saidWinding member, measured diametrically through said core, beingprogressively 'greaterat the middle of said core than at the endsthereof, the dismote: of the winding member, measured diametricallythrough said windin member,'

being also greater upon that portion of the Winding member encirclingthe middle of said core, and means for securing different portions ofsaid Winding member substantially in predetermined positions relativelyto each other.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHANNES MARTIN WILHELM HEITMANN; Vitnesses:

Hose Brenner/r, I Luowio SiionRMAN.

